The pharmaceutical industry has one of the highest-paying jobs. Pharmaceuticals are responsible for producing medication for society and conducting medical research to advance modern medicine. They employ dozens of well-paying jobs, some of which don’t even require a degree or experience.
If you’re looking for a job that pays well and you want to work in healthcare and medicine, consider pharmaceuticals.
Quickstart Guide To Landing A High-Paying Job In Major Pharmaceuticals
- Update your resume. Getting a high paying job in major pharmaceuticals is competitive. Think about it like this: you’re selling the company on a major investment in you, so you need to do everything you can to get an edge. Investing a little money to have a professional resume writing service polish up your resume can be the edge you need. Check out our guide to the best resume writing services to get started today.
- Search for jobs on ZipRecruiter. If you are looking for a job in the pharmaceutical industry, start your search on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can apply for jobs with a single click!
Discover Your Dream Job Find jobs near you and apply with 1 click! New jobs posted daily.
What Is The Pharmaceutical Industry?
The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for the development and production of medicine. This industry includes research, and regulation, and involves multiple government agencies.
The U.S. leads drug spending, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of the worldwide market.
In the U.S., the pharmaceutical industry is run by a few major players like AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and others. Drugs are manufactured and then sent to wholesalers who sell them to retailers like pharmacies and retailers, which is where consumers buy them from.
8 Of Best Paying Jobs In Major Pharmaceuticals
1. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Median National Salary: $67,750/year
Education Required: No degree needed
Number of Jobs: 1,649,900
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 1% (Little or no change)
Job Duties: Have you ever been at the doctor’s office waiting in the lobby and you see a professional walk in wearing a suit and pulling a rolling suitcase behind them? They usually wait for a minimal amount of time before getting whisked behind the front desk to chat with the doctor and staff for a few minutes.
This person most likely works in pharmaceutical sales.
Pharmaceutical sales representatives sell pharmaceutical products to medical professionals. They can communicate the benefits and features of the products, sharing and educating others about their products including how they work and how to use them.
2. Medical Scientist
Median National Salary: $110,670/year
Education Required: Doctoral or medical degree
Number of Jobs: 1,625,000
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)
Job Duties: A medical scientist is responsible for conducting research to advance medical knowledge and develop new treatments or medical technologies. They use their expertise in scientific methodology, data analysis, and experimentation to investigate diseases, study human biology, and contribute to the development of medical breakthroughs that improve healthcare outcomes.
3. Epidemiologist
Median National Salary: $78,520/year
Education Required: Master’s degree
Number of Jobs: 10,000
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 27% (Much faster than average)
Job Duties: An epidemiologist is responsible for studying the patterns and causes of diseases within populations, conducting research to identify risk factors, and developing strategies to prevent and control the spread of diseases. They use their expertise in public health, data analysis, and research methods to investigate disease outbreaks, monitor public health trends, and inform public health policies and interventions.
4. Research Scientist
Median National Salary: $110,670/year
Education Required: Doctoral or professional degree
Number of Jobs: 1,625,000
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)
Job Duties: A research scientist is responsible for planning and conducting experiments, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions to contribute to scientific knowledge in their field. They use their expertise in scientific methodology, critical thinking, and data interpretation to advance understanding in their area of research and often collaborate with other scientists to develop new technologies or products.
Join The Break Community
5. Pharmacist
Median National Salary: $132,750/year
Education Required: Doctoral or professional degree
Number of Jobs: 334,200
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 3% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: A pharmacist is responsible for dispensing medications, providing drug information to patients and healthcare professionals, and ensuring that prescriptions are filled accurately and safely. They use their expertise in pharmacology, medication management, and patient counseling to optimize medication therapy, monitor for potential drug interactions, and promote patient health and safety.
6. Pharmaceutical Financial Analyst
Median National Salary: $96,220/year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 376,100
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 8% (Faster than average)
Job Duties: A pharmaceutical financial analyst is responsible for analyzing financial data, evaluating investment opportunities, and providing financial insights and recommendations within the pharmaceutical industry. They use their expertise in financial analysis, forecasting, and pharmaceutical market knowledge to support strategic decision-making and financial planning for pharmaceutical companies.
7. Biomedical Engineer
Median National Salary: $99,550/year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 19,700
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)
Job Duties: A biomedical engineer is responsible for applying engineering principles and design concepts to develop medical devices, equipment, and technologies. They use their expertise in biology, engineering, and healthcare to innovate and improve medical solutions, contributing to advancements in patient care and medical research.
8. Biostatistician
Median National Salary: $99,960/year
Education Required: Master’s degree
Number of Jobs: 35,600
Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 30% (Much faster than average)
Job Duties: A biostatistician is responsible for designing research studies, analyzing biological data, and interpreting statistical results to inform healthcare and medical research. They use their expertise in statistics, data analysis, and research methodology to provide statistical support for medical studies, clinical trials, and public health research, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of findings.
What Are The Requirements To Work In Pharmaceuticals?
The pharmaceutical industry is vast. It covers a wide variety of jobs with differing backgrounds, experience, and education required. Some careers require advanced degrees in medicine and science while others are entry-level and open to beginners with little to no work experience.
Some of the positions you can find in the pharmaceutical industry include:
- Pharmacists
- Pharmaceutical sales representatives
- Researchers
- Financial analysts
Entry-level positions can pay a starting salary of $40,000 to $60,000 per year with positions for experienced, degreed work professionals earning over six figures.
Skills Needed To Work In Major Pharmaceuticals
In general, these soft skills are desirable to have, to work in the pharmaceutical industry:
- Excellent communication: This means you are good at expressing yourself and have strong listening skills. You can communicate well with others.
- Technical analysis: You can analyze data and information well on a technical level. You’ll be able to look at complex problems with a technical eye. This is a strong skill to have if you work in data, research, or analysis within the pharmaceutical industry.
- Leadership: Having strong leadership skills means you can lead others. You work within a team environment and have strong managerial skills, which is beneficial for management and leadership positions.
Which Pharma Job Has the Highest Salary?
The highest-paid pharma job is pharmaceutical sales. That’s because in addition to a high base salary, the commission potential attached to this job means that the salary is uncapped.
Salaries averaged more than $150,000/year in 2019, according to this source.
How Do You Get A Good-Paying Job In Major Pharmaceuticals?
After you pick the pharmaceutical career you want to work in, the next step is to make sure you have the background, education, experience, and skills to land that job.
Sometimes that involves going to school to get a bachelor’s degree or higher, other times it may require you to go through training and some jobs are available to beginners with no degree or experience required.
Your next step is going to begin your career search and you can look to these places to find high-paying jobs in major pharmaceuticals…
Best Places To Find High-Paying Major Pharmaceuticals Jobs
There are places online you can find jobs in the pharmaceutical industry. When you’re ready to start your job hunt, before you start, make sure you’re armed with a professional resume.
Check out the best resume services that can help you prepare a resume to accompany your job application.
Using a resume service can be a smart move because it saves you time and it outsources this tedious task to a professional so you can get a polished resume without the stress of having to prepare it yourself.
For finding high-paying major pharmaceuticals jobs, you can look to job search banks and career websites like these:
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is one of the top job search websites. They have been home to millions of job postings in various industries including pharmaceuticals. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can apply for jobs with a single click. As an added bonus, you can upload your resume to ZipRecruiter’s resume data base so that your resume is searchable by the recruiters and employers who use ZipRecruiter.
For more information, check out our ZipRecruiter review.
Discover Your Dream Job Find jobs near you and apply with 1 click! New jobs posted daily.
Glassdoor Jobs
Glassdoor Jobs is the job search section of the Glassdoor website. You can search for jobs by keyword and filter your results by location, job type, salary, and more. You can also set job alerts and view past applications submitted.
For more information, check out our Glassdoor review.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the largest job search engines online. You can search jobs by keyword and location. It’s a simple, easy-to-use search tool and you can apply to jobs right on the site.
For more information, check out our Indeed review.
The Bottom Line
The pharmaceutical industry is fast-growing and here to stay. Working in this field has the opportunity to land you a high-paying salary, benefits, and other perks, like the opportunity to support an industry that is pioneering new medicine and vaccines to the world.
We hope this list gave you some inspiration on what job to pursue in major pharmaceuticals. When you’re ready to find a job, go to ZipRecruiter to start your career search.
![10 Of The Best Careers In Communications [2024]](https://res.cloudinary.com/dr0v43hwy/image/upload/f_webp,h_240,w_240,c_fill,g_auto,q_auto/1664984830447-WNXL322ROXOI9TXZTHXF-careers_in_communications_iwyoxv?_a=AXAH4nI0)
